


A Helping Paw

by ScarletRedfox



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Saves the Day, F/M, Gen, Marichat | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Scared Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Stalking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:20:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29679696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScarletRedfox/pseuds/ScarletRedfox
Summary: Marinette was terrified.She had no idea how she got into this mess.Who should she call?
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 2
Kudos: 194





	A Helping Paw

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on my tumblr (lady-charinette). I'm in the process of moving old stuff from Tumblr over onto Ao3, so have some anxious Marinette in this one! :3

Marinette was terrified.

She had no idea how she got into this mess.

She was normally non-suspicious, she wasn't very outgoing like Alya or someone that immediately captured people's attention like Chloe, which made this situation even more bizarre for her.

She'd noticed the guy a few blocks ago, walking at a slower pace behind her and changing streets or sides when she did.

She'd tried entering a store briefly but after ten minutes, she'd still found him leaning against a wall.

Now, she was cooped up in some apartment building she'd quickly sneaked into after a woman entered it, thankfully holding the door open for her, thinking she lived there.

But she couldn't stay there forever, she was already half an hour inside and the stranger was leaning against a wall across two streets, it was too far to see his eyes exactly but his face was turned towards the direction of the building Marinette had rushed into.

With trembling hands and a panicking mind, Marinette tried thinking of who to call for help.

She could call Alya, but she went on a short vacation with Nino overseas. Her parents were at a backing contest in America. Master Fu didn't have a cellphone and the telephone in his store was temporarily down due to construction work fumbling with the wires.

Who should she _call_?

If _only_ she'd brought Tikki with her.

She thought it would be alright to leave without her, since it was just a short trip outside.

She hadn't expected to be stalked.

Tikki must be so worried about her but Marinette had no way of contacting her.

Scrolling down her contacts list, Marinette's finger hovered over her recent contact number.

_Chat Noir_

It had been funny, really.

She hadn't expected to get a superhero's, her _partner's_ number, especially as Marinette, but the cat had one day shown up on her balcony with a worried look and a slip of paper with the scribbled numbers, saying how the recent akuma targets had worried him and that she should have a way of calling on him in case of emergency, because Ladybug always seemed to be mysteriously MIA during that time.

She'd nervously accepted, nervous about her compromised identity, but touched at the cat's genuine care for her.

She'd seen that sensitive, thoughtful side of him only a handful of times, more often as Marinette than Ladybug and she liked it the more time they spent.

He said to use the number whenever she needed a hero and...

Marinette nervously glanced outside through the glass door, eyes frantically looking for the strange guy.

He was a bit closer to the building now, having crossed the first street towards the building.

Her panic spiked and her finger tapped the number to call.

She had never used it before, but now she did.

On the third ring, it picked up.

" _Hello?_ "

Marinette's heart briefly filled with hope. She knew that voice! It was him!

Marinette's voice came out higher and shakier than she thought it would, "C-Chat Noir?"

There was brief spluttering on the other end, perhaps surprise at the fact Marinette had actually called him, but nevertheless after the shifting sounds ceased, Chat Noir's surprised voice was there, " _M-Marinette? Is that you? You actually called me? What a delightful purrprise!"_

She would've giggled at the excited tone in his voice, but the nervous beating of her heart wouldn't stop, "I'm s-sorry kitty, but this isn't really a social call. Do...do you have time?"

" _Of course! What's up?"_

She curled her hand into a fist and held it close to her chest, "Um...I'm...I need a hero. _Right now_." she peeked outside again and squeaked when she made direct eye contact with the stranger, even if it was across the street, "P-Please get here as fast as you can! I'm scared."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Chat Noir didn't miss a beat to answer, his voice serious and alarmed, " _Tell me where you are_."

After giving him the address, Chat Noir hang up with the promise to come quickly and for her to stay put. Marinette wasn't a fool, she would instruct the same to a panicked civilian.

She only hadn't thought _she_ would be the panicked civilian anytime soon.

Still, Marinette moved away from the glass door and sat down in a corner of the corridor, curling in on herself and waiting with baited breath, the darkening sky outside making her heart race.

It looked like it would rain.

It was only after ten minutes of constant downpour that she saw a shadow in front of the door and a dark figure in front of it.

Marinette's entire body froze in fear, pressing her body closer against the cold wall behind her.

The stranger couldn't enter without the door being opened from the inside, but the prospect of him standing so close, only separated by a door from reaching her, sent her mind reeling.

It was only when she heard a familiar scrape of claw-like scratches and an all too familiar voice call that she relaxed, "Princess? Are you there? It's me!"

With lightning speed thanks to years of being Ladybug, Marinette bolted for the door, swinging it open and ushering the by now soaked cat in, "Get in, quick!"

The superhero stepped in and quickly closed the door behind him, ears standing at attention, looking outside, shoulders straight and taut before he turned to look down at her, placing his hands on her shoulders worriedly, "Marinette, are you okay?"

Instead of answering, she went straight into his arms, slipping her arms under his own and burying her face against the crook of his neck.

She thought Chat Noir was trembling from the cold and the rain that had soaked him through the bone, but she noticed it was actually herself that was shaking in his arms.

Chat Noir stood motionlessly for a second or two, but soon wrapped his arms tightly around her, one splayed across her back and the other craddling the back of her head, voice low but full of concern, "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

She shook her head, trying to channel her inner Ladybug and collect herself.

It was easier said than done, but there was nothing to worry about now. Chat Noir was _here_.

Marinette slowly broke away from the hero's arms, sighing and gently slapping her cheeks, "I'm fine Chat Noir, thanks for coming here so fast, I just didn't know who to call and I had your number and you said if I ever needed you I should call and-"

Chat Noir gently patted her shoulder, "Princess, breathe. Don't worry, I'm here now." he glanced back outside, his handy night vision easily distinguishing the moving shapes of people, despite the pouring rain, "Tall, dark jacket and light colored pants?"

Marinette's heart sped up in fright but she curbed it down stubbornly, "Y-Yeah..."

She was Ladybug, she dealt with akumas every day. But this was not Hawkmoth, someone she could stand up to in a supersuit that protected her. This was a person equally if not more dangerous than Hawkmoth and the problem was he was within reach of her completely unprotected by a supersuit.

The gentle squeeze on her hand made her glance up at Chat Noir again, who was smiling down at her reassuringly, "I'm sorry princess, you'll get a bit wet once we go outside. I'll try to take you home as fast as I can."

She smiled and followed him outside, now infinitely more confident. He was her partner, her other half, even as Ladybug, she wouldn't be able to overcome all the obstacles alone.

She could always count on her kitty, in and out of the mask.

Marinette smiled when Chat Noir picked her up, activating his staff and quickly vaulting off the ground, bounding over rooftops, away from the potential threat to his princess.

They arrived on the balcony in record time, courtesy of Chat Noir's urgency to not get Marinette sick from all the downpour.

Once the girl was set down safely on her feet, Chat Noir removed his hands from around her waist, "Home safe and sound princess, you can call on me anytime you want. Now get inside before you catch a cold!" He was about to turn around and leave, until he felt a tap on his shoulder.

Marinette cupped his face and planted a quick but affectionate kiss on his cheek, surprising him, "M...Marinette?"

The girl's face was oddly pink, Chat Noir blamed it on the chilly weather, but there was a smile on her face, "Thanks for saving me tonight kitty." She hugged him again, it was short lived but it sent a burst of warmth through him.

Chat Noir scrambled with his staff for a moment or two, scratching the back of his neck, "O-Of course princess, anytime you need me I'll be there! Um, g-good night!"

With that, he vanished into the rainy night until Marinette could no longer see him and as she quickly headed inside only to be met by a worried Tikki, Marinette's thoughts were on the soaked cat soaring through the skies right now.

She could _always_ count on her kitty.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Requests are open on my tumblr!


End file.
